Set Public or Private Network Profiles and Network Discovery in Windows 10/11

Set Public or Private Network Profiles and Network Discovery in Windows 10/11​

Difficulty: Beginner | Time Required: 10 minutes
Windows uses network profiles to decide how visible your PC should be on a network. Choosing the right profile helps balance convenience and security. For example, on your trusted home Wi-Fi, you may want your PC to discover other devices and share a printer. On a coffee shop or airport Wi-Fi, you usually want Windows to keep your device hidden.
This tutorial explains how to switch between Public and Private network profiles in Windows 10 and Windows 11, and how to turn Network Discovery on or off.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin:

1. Sign in to Windows with an account that can change system settings.
2. Connect to the Wi-Fi or Ethernet network you want to configure.
3. If your PC is managed by a workplace, school, or domain administrator, some settings may be controlled by policy and unavailable.

Note: Windows may also use a Domain profile on organization-managed networks. Domain profiles are usually controlled by IT administrators and are not manually selected like Public or Private.

Understanding Public vs. Private Network Profiles​

Windows supports different network profile types:

1. Public network
   • Best for airports, hotels, cafés, libraries, guest Wi-Fi, and mobile hotspots.
   • Makes your PC less visible to other devices.
   • Network discovery is usually off.
   • File and printer sharing should generally remain off.
2. Private network
   • Best for trusted home or small office networks.
   • Allows your PC to discover other devices.
   • Allows other trusted devices to find your PC if Network Discovery is enabled.
   • Useful for file sharing, printer sharing, media devices, and local network troubleshooting.

Warning: Do not set a network to Private unless you trust the network and the people/devices connected to it.

Method 1: Change Network Profile in Windows 11​

Use this method if you are using Windows 11.

1. Click Start.
2. Open Settings.
3. Select Network & internet from the left menu.
4. Choose your connection type:
   • Select Wi-Fi if you are using wireless.
   • Select Ethernet if you are using a wired connection.
5. If using Wi-Fi, click the name or properties of the network you are currently connected to.
6. Look for Network profile type.
7. Select one of the following:
   • Public — recommended for untrusted or shared networks.
   • Private — recommended for trusted home or office networks.
8. Close Settings when finished.

Your change applies to that specific network connection. If you connect to a different Wi-Fi network later, Windows may use a different profile for that network.

Method 2: Change Network Profile in Windows 10​

Use this method if you are using Windows 10.

1. Click Start.
2. Open Settings.
3. Select Network & Internet.
4. Choose your connection type:
   • Select Wi-Fi for a wireless connection.
   • Select Ethernet for a wired connection.
5. Click the network you are currently connected to.
6. Under Network profile, choose:
   • Public
   • Private
7. Close Settings.

Tip: In some Windows 10 builds, you may also see the current network from Settings > Network & Internet > Status, then choose Properties to change the profile.

Method 3: Turn Network Discovery On or Off in Windows 11​

Network Discovery controls whether your PC can see other network devices and whether other devices can see your PC.

1. Click Start.
2. Open Settings.
3. Select Network & internet.
4. Scroll down and select Advanced network settings.
5. Under More settings, select Advanced sharing settings.
6. Expand the network profile you want to configure:
   • Private networks
   • Public networks
7. Turn Network discovery on or off.
8. If you want to share printers or files, also review File and printer sharing.
9. Close Settings.

For most home users, the recommended setup is:

• Private networks: Network Discovery on, if you want local device sharing.
• Public networks: Network Discovery off.

Important: Turning on Network Discovery does not automatically share all your files. It only helps devices find each other. File sharing permissions are configured separately.

Method 4: Turn Network Discovery On or Off in Windows 10​

Windows 10 commonly uses the classic Control Panel for advanced sharing settings.

1. Click Start.
2. Type Control Panel.
3. Open Control Panel.
4. Select Network and Internet.
5. Select Network and Sharing Center.
6. In the left pane, click Change advanced sharing settings.
7. Expand the profile you want to configure:
   • Private
   • Guest or Public
   • All Networks
8. Under Network discovery, choose:
   • Turn on network discovery
   • Turn off network discovery
9. If needed, check Turn on automatic setup of network connected devices.
10. Click Save changes.

You may be prompted to approve the change as an administrator.

Optional: Change the Network Profile with PowerShell​

If Settings is not working or you prefer commands, you can use PowerShell.

1. Right-click Start.
2. Select Windows Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
3. Run this command to view network profiles:

Get-NetConnectionProfile

1. Note the InterfaceAlias for your connection, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
2. To set the network to Private, run:

Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -NetworkCategory Private

1. To set the network to Public, run:

Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -NetworkCategory Public
Replace "Wi-Fi" with the correct interface name shown on your PC.

Warning: Be careful when using administrative PowerShell. Changing the wrong connection can affect network access or sharing behavior.

Troubleshooting Tips​

Network Discovery keeps turning off​

If Network Discovery will not stay enabled, check these items:

1. Make sure the network profile is set to Private.
2. Restart your PC.
3. Confirm that Windows Firewall is not blocking Network Discovery.
4. Open Services and verify these services are running or allowed to start when needed:
   • Function Discovery Provider Host
   • Function Discovery Resource Publication
   • SSDP Discovery
   • UPnP Device Host

You do not normally need to change services manually, but they can be useful to check when troubleshooting stubborn discovery issues.

You still cannot see another PC​

Try the following:

1. Confirm both PCs are connected to the same local network.
2. Set both networks to Private if this is a trusted home or office network.
3. Turn on Network Discovery on both PCs.
4. Turn on File and printer sharing if you plan to access shared folders or printers.
5. Restart both PCs and your router if devices still do not appear.
6. Try accessing the other PC directly by typing its device name or local IP address into File Explorer’s address bar.

You are on a work or school device​

If your PC is managed by an organization, your administrator may enforce network profile, firewall, sharing, or discovery settings. In that case, the options may be greyed out or may revert after a restart.

Recommended Settings for Common Situations​

Situation	Recommended Profile	Network Discovery
Home Wi-Fi	Private	On if sharing devices
Small office network	Private	On if needed
Coffee shop Wi-Fi	Public	Off
Airport or hotel Wi-Fi	Public	Off
Mobile hotspot	Public, unless trusted	Usually Off
Workplace domain network	Domain	Managed by IT

Conclusion​

Setting the correct network profile is a simple but important Windows security step. Use Public for unfamiliar networks to help keep your PC hidden, and use Private only on networks you trust. Network Discovery is useful for finding PCs, printers, and shared devices, but it should be enabled only where it makes sense.
Key Takeaways:

• Use Public on untrusted networks for better protection.
• Use Private on trusted home or office networks.
• Turn on Network Discovery only when you need local device visibility.
• File and printer sharing are separate settings from Network Discovery.
• Organization-managed PCs may have these settings controlled by policy.

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This tutorial was generated to help WindowsForum.com users get the most out of their Windows experience.